By now, every fashion-individual and their respective dogs has seen the pictures, drooled over the dresses and rolled all the Red Carpet of their vivid fashion imagination trying to replicate and emulate the Met Gala’s main highlights.
I wanted to add the final point to this outstanding fashion extravaganza but I wanted you to weigh in as well, crowning my side of the story with your perspective. Because you’re worth it (wink) and because I love discussing fashion with you and Red Carpet gossip is my favorite kind of gossip. Now: about last night! There were many sides to the 2013 Met Gala story, but few really captured the spirit of the evening PUNK: Chaos to Couture.
The very essence of the night’s event was decided by the interwebs as a short and fun gif involving Jennifer Lawrence and Sarah Jessica Parker. Or better said: SJP’s headpiece. Which would’ve been the highlight of the Ball either way. But that’s it. That as far as the fash-population and the Hollywood glitz&glam can take their punk spirit. And that’s perfectly fine by me, at least we’re left with a fun, genuine and spontaneous punk moment! And it seems we have to thank Jennifer Lawrence for that, just as we thanked her for one of the most spectacular Oscar moments ever (her falling over the stage stairs in that cloudy dress?).
But getting back to the fashion parade taking over the Red Carpet last night. My favorite punk, perfectly illustrating the theme of the night? Dame Viv, biensur! Vivienne Westwood breathes and lives punk through every stitch of her collections and tonight was no different. She brought Lily Cole along and she looked every angle the punk part!
Next on my punk list? Sarah Jessica Parker, biensur. But I already did that talk and walked that admirative walk in another story. So I’ll just skip to the next on my punk list: Marc Jacobs! He’s encapsulating the commercial punk, wearing a dotted suit&matching Converse sneakers.
Other than that, there were a couple of main trends I will highlight furthermore, just in case you need to get your punk fashion references straight. As hailing from the UK and then taking over the world, punk came with certain print connotations, such as tartan. And there were some pretty tartans at last night’s Gala. From Christina Ricci’s Vivienne Westwood extravaganza to Tommy&Dee Hilfiger’s over the top plaid, there was tartan in the air.
Cutout dresses. A lot of cutout dresses walked the 2013 Met Gala Red Carpet last night. And that can only mean one thing: deconstructed/reconstructed in fashion means cutout. Here, my favorite was Constance Jablonski who wore a yellow draped dress with leather harness signed Wes Gordon. She was perfectly punk&fashion! On the other end of the deconstructed spectrum was Madonna who was all stitched and safety pinned in Givenchy blazer and little else. Punk Madgesty? Definitely. A tad too Erotica? Clearly. Over. The. (punk) Top.
Another significant trend that would fit into the Chaos to Couture theme would be the wild hair. I came to realize, while browsing the pictures last night, that unstraightened hair is the celebrity’s idea of chaos. Whatever suits them (punk did, indeed touch the hair in a very dramatic way back in the day. From the wild Mohawks, spikes and unnatural, vivid colors, there was a lot of punk in the h-air). Sarah Jessica Parker was clearly leading the pack here, shoulder to shoulder with Elisabeth von Turn und Taxis whose natural Mohawk was rocking the punk out of this soiree and Giovanna Bataglia’s safety pins headband, perfectly punk! Ashley Greene and Karlie Kloss both wore some pretty punk hairdos. At the end of the punk hair rainbow was Zooey Deschanel, sitting pretty, looking anything but punk and wearing her trademark fringe to the side. Result? Unrecognizable. Nothing Punk or chaotic there. A pretty frizzy special mention for Diane von Furstenberg who outdone herself with that lovely curly do!
In a seemingly neutral dress code segment I could note some religious-themed appearances such as Katy Perry (in Dolce & Gabbana) and Linda Evangelista (in Marchesa). I have no idea what the Olsen sisters were thinking when they chose their outfits (Ashley in vintage Dior and Mary Kate in vintage Chanel). I felt just as puzzled with Gwyneth Paltrow’s fuchsia Valentino gown or Uma Thurman’s Zac Posen green number…
At least everyone piled up their jewelry (especially rings and earrings), spiking here and there their punk spirits. I know I didn’t say a word about Cara Delevingne or Sienna Miller but while for the first I feel nothing (worse now after her ‘powder sachet’ incident: I expect her to go away for a while. Maybe grow up, detox and polish) Sienna Miller was the punk bride of the evening, her Burberry studded leather jacket making up for the virginal white, fit-for-any-occasion dress underneath.
A special mention for Blake Lively whose Gucci Premiere dress, although not entirely punk, was interesting in a couture perspective. The same goes for Karolina Kurkova whose wild Mary Katranzou printed dress could’ve fitted any theme but punk. Brightly printed but with no specific style-destination were also Solange Knowles (in Kenzo) and Chanel Iman (in J. Mendel).
Oh: I nearly forgot the makeup atrocities! How could I? Dakota Elle Fanning? Ginnifer Goodwin and the worse of them all January Jones. I know I left many attendees unmentioned, but that could also be a good thing, considering the lack of punk imagination flowing the Met Red Carpet last night! Who did you noticed in particular you’d like to include in this conclusive Met-review? (all the images were kindly provided by vogue, getty, bauergriffinonline for the present argumentation)
5 comments
Dakota, Ginnifer and January look like Angry Birds.
Madonna got the theme and mood right.
All hail Vivienne Westwood the Queen of Punk design! She and Lilly looked great and suited the evening. It was also nifty to see some of Westwood’s gowns there.
Linda E and Katy Perry look like Russian Orthodox Icons, interesting but almost too “costumey”.
The one time where it would have been stylish and punk and puckish for Marc Jacobs to wear a skirt he opts for the Children’s tv show presenter who got fired look and Sophia Coppella looks like she is wearing comfy pjs and decided to come with Jacobs at the last minute just so he would be safe and not wander off.
I like Diane von Fürstenberg’s gown, it was funky and looked nifty on her.
I did not like “The most beautiful woman in the world”‘s dress and Uma’s to me is more suited to a Hollywood awards show event.
I am not a fan of Blake LIvely, I do not get why she and also Jessica Alba are touted as fashion mavens. They do wear nice things but they always look boring and it seems to me that the clothes could attend the event without them and no one would notice.
Sienna Miller’s jacket and tiara are the COOLNESS! I loved them!
I adored what Solange wore, her whole look was just so swift and Chanel Iman looked so beautiful in her gown and her accessories add to the the look and do not over power it.
Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen, now whenever I look at them I hear Macklmore’s jam “Thrift Shop”. I do not know if that is good or bad. ; )
One person that I would have loved to have seen would have been Victoria Beckham. Was she there? I am sure she would have looked great! : )
I don’t get these famous crowds! When it’s supposed to be about fashion and costumes, they choose to be lamely predictable and safe. They fear the public and the stylists judgement but they don’t care if they look boring. I wanted them to risk, to provoke. And I ended up with a loooong yawn instead.
What I admired about Blake was that she, like Diane Kruger, style themselves most of the times, even for haute evenings like this. If these statements are true then, I encourage and applaud her choices. If not, then she’s just playing it safe like everybody else, just another sheep in the pretended fashionable crowd.
Some last words…..Andreas Kronthaler didn’t care about the dress code either but he’s the husband of the Queen of Punk.
It’s sad Malcolm McLaren is dead. I am convinced he knew his invention would be honoured in a museum one day. He was a great visionair. Would these fashion people realise who he was? What he was? I seriously doubt that.
Lastly I miss one guest of great importance. Because she’s the real deal and I wonder if any of you missed none other than Daphne Guinness? Where was Daphne?
Yes! Where was Daphne? this event has her all over it and she would have been OUTSTANDING!
Ellington, I have read many reviews and no one, no one asked where she was? I really was looking for that question. If I was the only one?
If there’s a ‘punk’ in fashion, a haute punk of course, it’s her…….
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